Damn You WAGYU Why Can't I Quit You???

Unforgettably Umami.

Savory goodness that enrobed my palate

to the ultimate degree of steak satisfaction.

I can still taste you...

I cradled the Wagyu,

I wanted to hug it, to kiss it, to love it...

now I really understand the meaning of "Food Porn";

the Wine was spectacular;

tried to describe it in terms of Apple Pathways,

but the sommelier was having none of my Neruda-isms:

I was fortunate to be invited to a WAGYU & WINE dinner

at the Hyatt Manila's elegant yet cozy grill, the FIREPLACE.

PENFOLDS of Australia

provided the Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Shiraz,

Chef Oro ensured that all the prime cuts of

TAJIMA WAGYU were grilled perfectly.

MARBLING!!!

Tajima Wagyu Striploin

with the highest Australian meat grade: 9+

No other steak is as beautiful, or better than this.

GRILLMARKS!!!

Rosemary infused cocktail potatoes,

green asparagus britney spears,

oven roasted vine cherry tomatoes,

herb bundle, and a shiraz glaze...

MEDIUM RARE!!!

The seared crust providing the perfect counterpoint

to the melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the beef.

It was absolutely one of the finest dinners I've ever attended,

a perfect meal, from the appetizer of King Prawns

in a Macadamia Nut vinaigrette,

to the dessert of soft-centered Pavlova

with a Forest Berry coulis;

and the Fireplace,

all dark wood accented by

the soft glow of golden lamps,

an ambiance that proves equal to the restaurant's

task of serving absolutely the sine qua non of steaks.

Inevitably, in such ritzy surroundings,

I was bound to run into a VIP;

and despite being a Yellow fellow

since EDSA in '86, there was no way I was

foregoing a historic photo op with the Imeldific:

"CongressMadame and Me"

THE FIREPLACE
for reservations: 245-1234
5th Level, Hyatt Hotel and Casino
Pedro Gil cor M.H. Del Pilar, Malate, Manila